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January 28
1800s *1847 - George Wright is born in Yonkers, New York. A member of the first all-professional team, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, Wright will have a splendid career as shortstop and manager, being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1937. *1888 - In Chicago, 350 fans brave the weather to watch a baseball game on ice at Lincoln Park. Second baseman Fred Pfeffer, of the Chicago White Stockings, plays wearing a top hat. After two hours and five innings of play, the game is called. The Spaldings defeat the North-Siders, 7–6. *1890 - In the first of many lawsuits filed against Players League members by their former teams, a judge refuses to grant an injunction against John Ward, president of the Brotherhood. His decision, echoed frequently by other judges, states that the "want of fairness and mutuality" in the standard National League contract, specifically the clauses relating to the reserve rule, "is apparent." *1893: **It is announced that Frank Bancroft (*) is spending the remainder of the off-season serving as the manager of the Linda Gardner's Mastodon Minstrels. Bancroft is credited to introduce baseball to Cuba in 1879 when he took a touring team to the Caribbean. **The New York Clipper states that "an attempt will be made to change the rules so as to compel outfielders to discard baseball gloves." 1900s *1901 - The American League formally organizes: the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Athletics, and Boston Somersets are admitted to join the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago White Stockings. Three of the original clubs —Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Buffalo— are dropped. League power aggregates in Ban Johnson as trustee for all ballpark leases and majority stockholdings, and with authority to buy out refractory franchises. Player limit is 14 per team, and the schedule will be 140 games. American League contracts give the Players Protective Association what it asked for, with five-year limits on the rights to player services. *1907 - In an effort to reduce playing-date conflicts between their leagues, presidents Harry Pulliam (NL) and Ban Johnson (AL) meet to plan schedules. Conflicting dates are reduced to 27. 1910 1920s 1930 1940s *1949 - The New York Giants sign their first black players: Negro Leaguers Monte Irvin and Ford Smith. Both men are assigned to Jersey City (International League). Irvin will star for the Giants, but Smith never makes the major leagues. 1950s *1953 - St. Louis Cardinals owner Fred Saigh is found guilty of income tax evasion and is sentenced to a fifteen-month jail term. He plans to sell the club. Cardinals Vice President W. Walsingham, Jr., is the acting president until Saigh can divest himself of his stock. *1958: **The San Francisco Giants trade infielders Gail Harris and Ozzie Virgil to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Jim Finigan and $25,000. Virgil becomes the first black player in a Tigers uniform. **The Kansas City Athletics sign pitcher Murry Dickson as a free agent. 1960s *1961 - The International League Board of Directors vote to move the Montreal franchise to Syracuse, New York. *1962 - Edd Roush and Bill McKechnie are added to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. *1964 - Cincinnati Reds center fielder Vada Pinson is cleared of assault charges stemming from a September 5, 1963, incident when Cincinnati sportswriter Earl Lawson does not pursue charges further. *1968 - Goose Goslin and Kiki Cuyler are admitted to the Hall of Fame by unanimous vote of the Special Veterans Committee. Goslin was a career .316 hitter who played in four World Series. Cuyler was a .321 career hitter with four stolen base crowns. 1970s *1973 - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee selects 19th-century players Mickey Welch and George Kelly, plus umpire Billy Evans, for enshrinement in Cooperstown. *1974 - Right fielder Sam Thompson, first baseman Jim Bottomley, and umpire Jocko Conlan, are selected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. 1980s *1980 - Hank Aaron refuses an award from Commissioner Bowie Kuhn honoring him for hitting his 715th home run. Aaron charges that baseball's treatment of retired black ballplayers falls far short of what is needed. *1982 - The California Angels trade outfielder Dan Ford to the Baltimore Orioles for third baseman Doug DeCinces and a minor league prospect. *1986 - The Texas Rangers sign free agent catcher Darrell Porter to a one-year contract. 1990s *1992 - Detroit Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder avoids salary arbitration by agreeing to a $4.5 million contract, for the largest single–season deal in major league history. *1993 - The Milwaukee Brewers sign free agent outfielder Tom Brunansky. 2000s *2000 - The Baltimore Orioles sign free agent pitcher Pat Rapp to a contract. *2002 - The Rangers continue to shore up their pitching staff by signing free agent Ismael Valdéz to a one-year contract. *2005 - Recently traded first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who caught and kept the ball used to make the last out giving the Boston Red Sox their first World Championship in 86 years drought, will lend his souvenir to his former club. The historic horsehide, which Boston claims belongs to the team, will be encased within a plaque and will become part of the victory tour which includes World Series trophy. *2006: **In a three-team, multi-player trade, the Cleveland Indians sent center fielder Coco Crisp, reliever David Riske and catcher Josh Bard to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Guillermo Mota, catcher Kelly Shoppach, infielder Andy Marte, a player to be named later and cash consideration. Cleveland then sent reliever Arthur Rhodes to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Jason Michaels. The deal had been held up because of Cleveland's concerns about Mota's health. If he goes on the disabled list, Cleveland could add a pitcher from Boston's minor league system. **Five players avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to an one-year contracts: pitcher Mark Pryor with the Chicago Cubs; pitcher Vicente Padilla and outfielder Gary Matthews, Jr. with the Texas Rangers; reliever Jorge Julio with the New York Mets, and reliever Jesús Colome with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. **Cuba invited Puerto Rico to play exhibition games on the island ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Births *1847 - George Wright, Hall of Fame player and manager (d. 1937) *1869 - Ducky Holmes, outfielder (d. 1932) *1882 - Frank Arellanes, pitcher (d. 1918) *1884 - Tom Hughes, pitcher (d. 1961) *1887 - Jack Coffey, infielder (d. 1966) *1906 - Lyn Lary, infielder (d. 1973) *1928 - Pete Runnels, All-Star infielder (d. 1991) *1934 - Bill White, All-Star infielder *1950 - Larvell Blanks, infielder *1971 - Kevin Tolar, pitcher *1972 - Tsuyoshi Shinjo, outfielder *1977 - Lyle Overbay, infielder *1973 - Jacob Cruz, outfielder *1974 - Jermaine Dye, All-Star outfielder *1974 - Oscar Henríquez, pitcher *1974 - Magglio Ordóñez, All-Star outfielder *1975 - Junior Spivey, outfielder *1979 - Phil Seibel, pitcher *1981 - Doug Waechter, pitcher Deaths *1928 - Jake Thielman, pitcher (b. 1879) *1956 - Barry McCormick, infielder (b. 1874) *1965 - Billy Sullivan, catcher (b. 1875) *1985 - Bobby Young, infielder (b. 1925) *1993 - Vern Kennedy, All-Star pitcher (b. 1907) *2001 - Curt Blefary, outfielder (b. 1943)